


Christmas Presents

by findmeinthevoid



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, mlsecretsanta, mlss2k18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-30 00:17:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17213552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/findmeinthevoid/pseuds/findmeinthevoid
Summary: Adrien decides this is the year to give his own Christmas presents. Only things is: he doesn't know how.





	Christmas Presents

**Author's Note:**

> for purplerose244 on tumblr

Adrien had lived a very sheltered life - that much was obvious from the beginning. He was soft, reserved, and remarkably well-behaved for someone his age, although he managed to fit in with his other peers nonetheless.

He knew how to do some things. He could read and write and fence and play basketball and foosball (as much as someone can play alone by themselves, at least), he could certainly strike a pose and he knew how to use the internet to figure out what he didn’t know how to do.

However, the one thing he didn’t realize he didn’t know how to do was the one thing that everyone else probably did on a monthly, weekly, in some extreme cases even  _ daily _ basis, and that was shopping.

Adrien knew how to walk into a convenience store and awkwardly mill around, find something that wouldn’t horrify his father  _ too _ much if he should ever (heavens forbid) find out. Even then, he found himself following Nino to check-out and copying everything he did at the cashier’s. The model had never found himself in a situation where he’d have to buy his own clothes, food - anything, really. His chef took care of meals and he was at no shortage of wardrobe combinations, so why bother ever learning how to go shopping?

It had come to a point in time that Adrien figured he really ought to buy his father a gift for Christmas. He wasn’t seven anymore, so the days of carefully working on a messily-done piece of art and presenting it as a heartfelt gift were long gone. It used to be Emilie who would do the real gift shopping, but that wasn’t really an option, now, so it was up to Adrien and Adrien alone to figure out how this shopping thing worked. Oh, and while he was at it, he might as well buy his friends some gifts, too. They were old enough for that, right?

What all this consideration came to was Adrien ultimately sitting down in front of his computer with very little idea of what to do. He certainly had his plan in mind - Operation Get Everyone a Christmas Gift - but how exactly that was going to  _ happen _ was beyond him. He very soon realized, before even hitting enter on the search bar, that the Internet was not going to work for him. He was well-aware that Gabriel had his internet being tracked - only the best of top online security for the Agrestes - but that would make secrecy nearly impossible. And when it came to searching for gifts for his friends, Adrien realized he didn’t even know to begin when it came to the vast world and variety of online shopping.

Walp, that crossed Amazon off the list. Adrien sighed and got up from the desk, switching off his computer. The chances of his father letting him go outside to go shopping were highly unlikely, and that defeated the point of subtlety altogether, so… Adrien paused in his pacing to glance at the tiny snoring lump on his pillow. Said lump immediately stopped snoring and opened one wary eye.

“You want me to transform you into Chat Noir so you can sneak out of the house to secretly buy gifts for your friends,” Plagg read his mind before he’d even opened his mouth. “What about my gift, huh?”

Adrien sighed. “I’ll give you a whole wheel of camembert, happy?”

Plagg shrugged. “Just say the words. Oh, but maybe put on a jacket or something before you do. It’s December and I’m pretty sure Chat Noir going Christmas shopping is going to attract more attention than you’re aiming for.”

“Good point,” Adrien said, frowning. “Should I go full-on disguise? Maybe a mask, baseball cap-”

“Just put a scarf around your mouth and you’ll be fine,” Plagg assured him.

Adrien rummaged around in his closet until he found the blue scarf his father had given him for his birthday, as well as the replica of the original hat Marinette had made for him last year. 

“Does this look good?” he asked Plagg, voice muffled from the scarf.

Plagg pretended to snap a photo of it and gave him the kwami equivalent of an Italian kiss. 

“Okay, then. Plagg, claws out!”

He transformed and quickly hopped out the window, leaping over a few rooftops before dropping down into a nearby shopping district - one that was pretty elite, actually - and de-transforming behind a wall. Looking around at the shoppers in Prada jackets and Gucci handbags, walking around in stilettos despite the weather, Adrien suddenly felt self-conscious. This was most definitely not a place to be walking around inconspicuously with a sparkly Santa hat on his head and a bright blue scarf around his face. He quickly re-transformed and decided to go look somewhere else.

*

Adrien Agreste flopped onto his own bed half an hour later. He groaned, throwing his arms out, and let out a frustrated huff.

“Why does shopping have to be so hard?” he said aloud to no one in particular. “No one said it’d be  _ this _ difficult to find a freaking gift!”

“Well, now you know why the stores are always packed at this time of year,” Plagg said dryly.

“No,” Adrien decided, sitting up. “I’m going to get my gift. I just need someone’s help to find the right one!”

“...and who would that be?” the tiny black god asked. “I thought you were trying to be  _ secretive? _ ”

Adrien thought on that. “I mean, I could  _ technically _ ask anyone, so long as I tell them I’m vaguely trying to find gifts. If they ask, I’ll just tell them it’s for my dad and they can help me with that, and then hopefully I’ll figure out the rest by then, too!”

“Seems legit...” Plagg muttered, finding a small piece of camembert and nibbling on it.

“Sweet, Plagg, claws out!”

“Wai-” Plagg tried to protest, but he’d already been summoned into the ring before he could speak.

*

Chat Noir launched himself around for a bit, trying to locate the nearest person he recognized. He paused, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the area from a rooftop, until his gaze fell upon a red baseball cap.

“Nino,” he decided quietly, and hopped down, releasing his transformation.

Adrien walked out of the alleyway casually, stopping when he saw his friend.

“Hey Nino!” he called over, waving.

Nino paused, turning around. “Oh, hey dude. I thought your dad didn’t let you out of the house.”

Adrien shrugged, then leaned in. “I’m actually here for a secret mission,” he whispered.

Nino’s eyes widened. “What is it?”

“Christmas shopping,” Adrien answered, and Nino’s curious expression dropped.

The DJ raised an eyebrow. “Seriously, dude, don’t tell me you’ve never been Christmas shopping before!” When Adrien shook his head, he stared, then lowered his voice. “Okay, then, who for?”

“My father.”

There was a beat.

“...seriously?” Nino asked carefully. “Does he even give you presents?”

“He does,” Adrien said. “I just figured I’m old enough that I should put in some effort and buy him something too...”

Nino frowned. “Hmm...well, I’m probably not your best bet for high-end gifts like that, sorry dude. Maybe try someone else?” he suggested.

Adrien’s face fell. “I guess...who, though?”

“Hang on a sec, Al just called- Hey, babe - uhh no I don’t actually know - he’s actually right here if you - oh?” Nino looked at Adrien, “she’s asking about you.”

“Oh? Why?”

“One sec- yeah, Al? He said he needs some help, er, gift shopping? For his old man...oh, really?” he glanced at Adrien curiously. “Yeah, sure, I’ll ask him.”

“What?” Adrien asked.

“Alya suggested you go with Marinette. I mean, your dad’s a fashion designer, after all. Who better to ask than the winner of his own fashion contest herself?”

“Nino- Alya, she’s a genius! That’s a perfect idea!” Adrien realized, almost slapping himself for not realizing it sooner. “Thanks, man!”

“Anytime, bro. And, uh, good luck with your shopping!”

Nino peaced out and Adrien did the same, heading out of the shopping pavilion and towards the bakery beside the school.

*

There were a lot of things Marinette had learned to expect during the winter holidays leading up to Christmas, and yet, every season she found herself surprised. What she had most definitely not expected was for Chat Noir to awkwardly step inside after a rather indecisive buyer finally left the store with a satisfactory purchase.

“Chat Noir?” she asked in surprise, leaning forward over the counter. “What brings you here?”

“Hmm, just stuff, you know…” 

“Oh-” Marinette started.

“I actually have a good friend who needs some help with shopping and wanted to know if you’d be up for helping him out,” Chat interrupted.

Marinette blinked twice. “S-sure...” she replied, confused and a little surprised.

“Thanks, princess,” he said with a wink. “I knew I could count on you.”

And he calmly strode out of the store, Marinette watching him turn right through the window. And then, even more unexpectedly, someone else walked in.

“Hi, Marinette!”

“A- A- A-  _ Adrien _ ?!” Marinette blabbered, conveniently forgetting how to speak. “What are  _ you _ doing here?!”

He shrugged, stepping to the side to let another customer take a look at the pastries selection. “Didn’t you tell Chat Noir you’d be willing to help someone with Christmas shopping? That someone was, er, me,” he explained awkwardly.

Marinette gaped, quickly rearranging herself. “O-of course I’ll help you! I had no idea you were friends with  _ Chat Noir _ ,” she laughed nervously.

“Mm, very good friends, actually,” he responded mysteriously. “But if you’re busy right now, it’s fine, I’ll find-”

“No worries!” Marinette’s mother cut him off right then, materializing beside her daughter. “I can manage the front counter while you two do your thing,” she assured them. “Thank you so much for your help, darling, you’re a real gem.”

“You’re welcome, Maman,” Marinette replied, grinning. “Guess I’m free, then, after all.”

“Great, thanks, Mme Cheng- Sabine,” Adrien said.

“No problem. You two have fun!” she waved.

Marinette dashed upstairs for a few minutes to grab her coat and earmuffs, then ran back down to rejoin Adrien, panting slightly.

“Shall we go?” she asked.

Adrien nodded, and they both stepped outside the shop.

*

“So, what were you thinking of getting?” Marinette asked. “And, er, who for?”

“My father, actually,” Adrien replied. “I figured you might have a better idea of what a high-end fashion designer might want…you did design my hat, after all,” he said, gesturing to it.

Marinette flushed. “O-oh...he he...did you have _ anything _ in mind?”

Adrien shook his head. “Zip. Do you have any ideas?”

“I mean, you could buy him an accessory, but, I guess, he probably doesn't need anything from a boutique in Paris if he's already the greatest designer in Paris…”

“Yeah, which crosses a lot of options off the list. Anything else?”

“Maybe a new sketchbook? References, something he could use in his own work?” Marinette suggested. “I guess he could probably buy that on his own, though.”

“That's the thing,” Adrien said, “of all the things I could buy, he could buy for himself, too.”

“It'd be from you, though,” Marinette pointed out, and he merely shrugged. She sighed. “How about going DIY original, then?”

Adrien shuffled his feet. “I don't have the kind of talent it takes to make a homemade gift that'd meet his standards…” he mumbled.

Marinette gaped. “But you made that adorable bracelet for me, didn't you? Sure you can make a quality homemade gift!”

“Thanks, but I doubt he'd feel the same way,” Adrien said with a sigh. 

Marinette put a hand on his arm, making him look up at her. “Do it,” she said firmly. “If he doesn't like a handmade gift from his own son, I'll come right into his mansion and tell him off myself. Why don't you try a hand at designing something yourself and show him what the Agreste heir is truly capable of?”

“You sure about that?” Adrien asked dubiously.

“Sure,” she said with a supportive grin. “And anyways, what's the worst that could go wrong?”

*

“I...may have, er, spoken too soon,” Marinette said awkwardly, eyeing the messily stitched lump of fabric Adrien had ended up with after half a lesson on pillow-making. “What did you even  _ do _ to this?!”

She attempted to wrench the two pieces of cloth apart, but they were firmly attached to each other as if fastened by super glue.

“Heh...” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I was just following what you told me to do.”

“Well, sewing a gift isn’t working out, what else do you think you could do?”

Adrien thought for a bit.

“Maybe I could try and make something else - something he could wear?”

“Ooh, like the bracelet you made me!”

“Yeah, only, I don’t think he’d wear a bracelet...something a little more, er, pretentious?” He winced.

“How about a brooch, then?” she suggested.

“How would you even make a brooch, though?”

Marinette answered by pulling out a box of pony beads and a sheet of parchment paper. “Be right back,” she told him, dropping down through the trapdoor.

She returned a moment later with a cookie sheet, which she lined with the parchment paper. She offered him the box of beads.

“Design whatever you want, then fill the sketch in with the beads. We’ll put them in the oven and let them melt into a whole piece, and if you put a pin on the back before it melts, you can make a brooch!” she explained.

“I see!” Adrien finally nodded in understanding, and took the box and a marker. He settled down on the floor and started drawing.

*

“A-are you sure this a good idea?” he asked half an hour later, opening the oven door and being greeted by a rush of hot air. “The design won’t get all messed up?”

“The exact details might get a little blurred, but it shouldn’t be too bad,” Marinette assured him.

“I’ll take your word for it,” he said, closing the door again and turning off the oven.

*

It took about an hour and a half for the brooch to cool down inside the shut-off oven, and another little while after that for it to fully cool down and properly harden. Marinette showed Adrien how to seal it with a clear polish after he had added all the extra little details and embellishments. By the time the polish had dried, the sun was heading downwards in the sky, and Adrien’s lockscreen was hidden by the notifications of messages asking where he was.

“I should really get going now, thanks for your help, Marinette,” he said, standing up.

Marinette curled the last ribbon on the small gift box and stood up, too, handing the box to Adrien. “Anytime,” she promised, reaching forward to give him a goodbye hug in spite of herself.

He broke away after a few moments and went to open the trapdoor, carefully stepping downstairs. She followed him all the way down to the bakery.

“Well, then, guess I’ll see back at school in January. Merry Christmas!” he waved to Marinette and her parents, opening the door to outside.

“Merry Christmas!” they waved back, and he was off.

*

Adrien stayed up rather late that night, working on bracelets and necklaces and hair clips and pins for his friends with the beads he had at home, as well as the ones Marinette had generously provided him for his own bead melting endeavors. He wouldn’t be doing any more melting on his own, especially not on this schedule, but he could make other things. Complementing pins for Alya and Marinette, a music-themed bracelet for Nino to add to his collection, and a variety of accessories for the rest of his classmates.

He hadn’t even realized he’d fallen asleep until he awoke to someone knocking at the door, calling that it was 11 AM and he ought to be out of bed and ready by now. Adrien jumped up from his desk, quickly packing everything into small boxes and haphazardly sealing them with bows or ribbons.

He put all the boxes in his fencing bag and asked Nathalie if Gorilla could take him to deliver all the gifts. Nathalie was surprised, but hesitantly allowed him, helping him locate all the addresses and waiting in the car as he left the gifts outside their doors or window sills.

*

Adrien cautiously watched through a spoonful of pie as his father discovered the gift box and brought it to the table to open. Gabriel frowned as he untied the ribbon, carefully lifting the lid and taking out the card. He read it quickly, then reached in to take out the tissue, picking up the small object at the bottom. Adrien averted his eyes and stared into his dessert as his father examined the brooch for a few moments, then looked directly at his son.

“You made this?” he asked.

Adrien nodded quietly, and Gabriel softened, glancing over the brooch again, then pinned it onto his lapels. He stood up and walked all the way around the table to where Adrien was sitting across from his seat. Adrien stood up and returned the hug his father offered, holding each other for a few moments longer than would seem necessary.

“Merry Christmas, Adrien,” he said, placing a box next to his son’s plate. 

Adrien looked at it curiously, then back at his father, smiling. “Merry Christmas, Father.”

*

_ (21:03) _ **_Marinette:_ ** _ soo, how’d it go? X) _

_ (21:05)  _ **_Adrien:_ ** _ it was awesome! he loved it!  _

_ (21:05)  _ **_Adrien:_ ** _ thank you so much mari, youre the best! ;) _

“Marinette, is everything alright?” Tom asked, placing a comforting hand on his daughter’s arm. “You’re all red, do you have a fever?”

Marinette looked up from her phone, awkwardly grinning, and waved her father’s arm away, pocketing the device. “Just fine,” she assured them, giggling quietly. “Now, when can we open the presents?”


End file.
